ill    . 


ffilfifc 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


Class 


•FTHE 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 


Making  a  Soldier 


—  BY 


LIEUT.  COLONEL  A.  C.  SHARPE, 

«  \ 

U.  S.  ARMY 


Gold  Medal  Life  Member  Military  Service  Institution, 
Sometime  Professor  of  Military  Science  and  Tac- 
tics, Acting  Judge  Advocate,   U.  S.    A.,  Ass't 
Adj't  General  and  Inspector  General,  U.  S. 
V.,  Military  Secretary,  Umpire,  Chief 
Umpire  and   Chief  of   Staff  Ma- 
neuver Camps,  late  Member 
General  Staff  Corps,  Etc. 


PUBLISHING  Co. 
3  WILLIAMSON  BLDG. 

CLEVELAND 

1908 


COPYRIGHT    1908 

BY 
ALFRKD  C.  SHARPE 


DEDICATION. 

To  all  patriotic  citizens  who  are  proud  to  live  under  the 
protection  of  the  United  States  Flag  and  who  believe 
in  "backing  it  up"  with  an  adequate  system  of  Na- 
tional Defense  these  pages  are  respectfully  dedicated. 


CONTENTS 

Page 
PREFACE 7 

INTRODUCTION 14 

I     DISCIPLINE 19 

II    DRILL 28 

III  HEALTH 36 

IV  HABITS 44 

V  RECORDS 47 

VI  CONCLUSION 50 

VII    QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS 57 


190832 


1 '  Today  the  question  is  not  so  much  whether  a 
nation  is  strong  enough  to  make  war  as 
whether  its  government  is  powerful  enough 
to  prevent  war.  It  is  the  sword  alone  which 

keeps  the  sword  in  the  scabbard" 

—  Von  Moltke. 


PREFACE 

The  creation  of  an  effective  Army  Reserve  is  one 
of  the  most  perplexing  questions  with  which  the 
statesman  has  to  deal.  In  Germany,  Switzerland, 
France  and  other  European  countries  the  problem  is 
solved  by  a  system  of  conscription  or  compulsory 
service.  Every  young  man  on  arriving  at  proper  age, 
unless  exempted  for  certain  cause,  is  required  to  pass 
thru  a  prescribed  period  of  military  training.  In 
England  and  the  United  States,  on  the  contrary,  no 
such  system  exists,  as  compulsory  service,  even  for 
a  short  period,  would  be  regarded  by  the  people  with 
extreme  aversion.  Reliance  is  therefore  placed  on 
volunteers.  Neither  of  these  methods,  however,  has 
been  found  entirely  satisfactory.  Conscription,  being 
generally  obnoxious,  and  especially  so  in  time  of 
peace,  the  term  of  service  is  reduced  below  a  safe 
minimum  and  many  exemptions  are  obtained.  The 
volunteer  system,  on  the  other  hand,  is  found  equally 
defective.  In  peace  it  fails  to  secure  sufficient  men, 
and  in  war  it  has  to  be  kept  alive  by  the  payment  of 
enormous  bounties.  This  has  been  the  experience  of 
fhe  United  States  since  the  earliest  days,  and  in  the 
great  civil  war  of  1861  even  the  bounty  system  finally 
broke  down  and  gave  place  to  the  draft.  If,  however, 


8  PREFACE 

in  spite  of  its  defects,  we  are  resolved  to  adhere  to 
the  volunteer  system,  it  is  all  the  more  important  that 
our  preparation  should  be  sufficient  to  make  our  wars 
short  and  decisive,  for  a  protracted  struggle  wearies 
the  people,  who  then  cease  to  enlist  even  for  large 
bounties,  and  we  are  thus  forced  back  to  the  ob- 
noxious conscription. 

It  is  the  theory  of  a  republic  that  every  citizen 
must  become  a  soldier  if  need  be.  A  government  by 
all  and  for  all  is  entitled  to  the  services  of  all.  But 
to  be  of  any  value  as  a  soldier  in  modern  war  a  man 
must  have  considerable  preliminary  training,  and  this 
training  in  turn  requires  a  certain  irreducible  amount 
of  time.  It  is  manifestly  too  late  to  begin  such  train- 
ing after  war  is  declared.  Therefore,  if  we  are  to 
have  any  training  at  all  the  people,  or,  at  least,  such 
portion  of  them  as  may  be  needed,  must  submit  to 
it  in  time  of  peace.  This  was  the  idea  of  the  fathers 
when  they  enacted  the  old  Militia  Law  of  1795.  Under 
that  law  every  able  bodied  male  citizen  between  18 
and  45  was  required  to  be  enrolled  and  to  appear  for 
drill  on  certain  muster  days  each  year.  But  while 
this  plan  was  reasonable  and  just,  and  in  exact  accord 
with  the  theory  of  a  government  by  the  people,  its 
requirements  were  found  to  be  exceedingly  irksome. 


PREFACE  9 

Being  immensely  unpopular  it  was.  of  course,  ineffec- 
tive, and  even  became  ridiculous,  so  that  in  time  the 
whole  system  fell  into  contempt  and  finally  disap- 
peared. The  law,  however,  was  not  repealed  for  over 
a  hundred  years,  and  indeed  it  was  not  till  1903  that 
it  was  superseded  by  the  act  now  popularly  known 
as  the  Dick  Law.  This  act  practically  recognizes 
that  conscription  in  time  of  peace  has  been  abandoned, 
and  while  it  still  retains  its  hold  on  all  able  bodied 
male  citizens  of  proper  age  as  members  of  the  Militia, 
and  therefore  liable  to  be  drawn  into  service  in  case 
of  necessity,  it  accepts  the  National  Guard  as  the 
only  existing  force  which  can  be  looked  to  as  quickly 
available  to  supplement  the  small  standing  army. 
Now,  the.  present  strength  of  the  entire  National 
Guard  does  not  aggregate  much  in  excess  of  100,000 
men.  Deducting  non-combatants  and  those  who  for 
physical  unfitness  or  other  cause  might  drop  out,  and 
adding  a  percentage  of  re-enlistments  and  recruits  who 
might  come  in,  we  could  not  count,  perhaps,  on  a  final 
"line-up' '  of  more  than  100,000  of  all  ranks  and 
grades.  Some  of  these  would  not  be  available  for 
field  service,  as  they  would  be  required  for  coast  de- 
fense. Official  reports  of  inspectors  also  show  that 
quite  a  number  are  not  yet  quite  fully  equipped  or  in 


10  PREFACE 

a  satisfactory  state  of  instruction.  This,  then,  is  the 
sum  total  of  the  reserve  forces  which  we  have  thus 
far  provided,  and  for  the  maintenance  of  which  the 
federal  government  and  the  several  states  make  more 
or  less  hesitating  appropriations.  We  recognize,  of 
course,  that  this  force  is  entirely  inadequate  and  the 
appropriations  for  its  support  altogether  too  meager. 
But  as  this  is  the  only  organization  in  the  nature  of 
a  reserve  which  we  have  developed  it  should  be  of 
deep  concern  not  only  to  the  Militiaman  but  to  every 
other  citizen  under  the  flag  to  make  it  the  best  pos- 
sible. Until  some  better  scheme  is  thot  out  we  should 
bend  our  energies  towards  perfecting  what  we  have, 
and  to  this  end  we  should  strive  to  make  its  equip- 
ment, its  administration,  its  training  and  its  discipline 
as  complete  and  thoro  as  a  citizen-soldiery  can  hope 
to  attain.  Anything  short  of  this  impairs  public  con- 
fidence, excites  ridicule,  brings  the  company  into 
contempt,  and  saps  the  very  foundations  of  efficiency. 
If  the  National  Guard  would  have  proper  financial 
support  it  must  win  public  esteem  and  to  win  public 
esteem  it  must  show  that  it  deserves  it.  There  is 
here  no  royal  road  to  favor.  The  American  people 
are  discriminating  and  practical.  In  the  matter  of 
military  appropriations  they  are  also  disposed  to  be 
specially  economical.  For  every  dollar  which  they 
are  willing  to  give  they  expect  a  return  of  one  hun- 


PREFACE  11 

dred  cents  in  military  effectiveness  and  proficiency. 
We  are  therefore  confronted  with  the  question, 
Can  the  organized  Militia,  laboring  under  the  many 
limitations  which  surround  it,  make  such  a  return? 
And  if  not  100  per  cent.,  what  score  can  they  hope  to 
attain?  Can  they  acquire  sufficient  cohesion  and 
discipline  to  be  handled  tactically  in  the  field?  Can 
they  under  the  existing  and  unchangeable  system  of 
our  government  become  a  stable,  effective  and  de- 
pendable force  in  time  of  war?  These  certainly  are 
questions  of  vital  concern  to  the  people  of  this 
country  today.  We  know  the  history  of  the  militia 
in  former  wars.  We  remember  that  Washington 
pronounced  them  "detestable,"  and  in  the  war  of  1812 
their  conduct  was  most  wretched  and  inglorious. 
Even  in  later  conflicts  some  of  them  soon  tired  of  the 
dull  round  of  camp  life  and  begged  to  be  brought 
home.  These  and  similar  unsavory  events  have  ex- 
cited deep  distrust,  and  many  who  are  confronted 
with  these  questions  only  put  their  tongues  in  their 
'cheeks  and  gravely  shake  their  heads.  But  I  am 
not  prepared  to  share  in  this  despairing  view.  I 
have  seen  some  few  organizations  in  the  State  troops 
which  have  already  reached  the  high  goal  of  military 
efficiency ;  and  there  are  doubtless  others  equally  good 
which  have  not  fallen  under  my  personal  observa- 


12  PREFACE 

tion.  True,  they  may  not  yet  have  scored  100  per 
cent.,  and  they  never  may.  But  they  are  well 
officered,  well  equipped  and  well  instructed,  and  they 
have  acquired  a  degree  of  unity  and  cohesion  and  re- 
sponsive spirit  sufficient  for  all  practical  purposes. 
They  have  learned  how  to  live  properly  in  camp; 
they  can  be  handled  tactically  in  the  field ;  with  a  few 
practice  marches  they  would  be  seasoned  and  ready 
for  war.  What  has  thus  been  accomplished  by  these 
few,  often  in  the  face  of  most  adverse  conditions,  can 
be  accomplished  by  others — perhaps  by  all. 

Many  valuable  manuals  have  appeared  in  recent 
years  for  the  use  of  National  Guard  officers  and  men. 
They  have  explained  and  elaborated  almost  every 
phase  of  a  soldier's  duty,  and  their  multiplied  editions 
indicate  that  they  have  been  widely  circulated. 
Recent  inspection  reports,  however,  show  that  in  many 
organizations  the  vital  quality  is  still  lacking.  Instead 
of  being  military  companies,  thoroly  knit  together 
and  responsive  to  the  will  of  their  commander, 
they  are  merely  uniformed  rifle  clubs  with  military 
incidents.  Altho  the  men  may  shoot  well,  their 
action  in  battle  would  be  uncertain,  unreliable, 
and  perhaps  beyond  control.  Many  have  be- 
come so  charmed  with  maneuvers  and  rifle  practice 


PREFACE  13 

as  to  forget  the  elementary  principles  by  which 
alone  a  soldier  can  be  made.  Such  companies 
by  their  awkward  appearance,  their  indifferent  drill, 
their  inattention  in  ranks,  their  spreading  feet, 
the  grotesque  twist  of  their  hats,  their  unsubdued 
individual  independence  and  general  lack  of  cohesion 
are  little  better  than  the  old  "corn-stalk"  militia  which 
was  laughed  to  death  years  ago.  They  are  rendering 
a  questionable  return  for  the  people's  support  and 
their  general  figure  of  merit  is  exceedingly  low. 

But  these  defects  are  not  the  result  of  indifference 
or  lack  of  zeal.  It  may  be  safely  assumed  that  every 
officer  and  man  who  belongs  to  the  National  Guard 
belongs  there  because  he  has  the  instinct  of  a  soldier, 
because  he  has  a  taste  for  military  life,  and  because 
he  wants  to  be  in  the  first  line  in  case  of  a  call  to 
arms.  Such  men  are  in  earnest,  and  they  need  no 
urging;  they  are  more  than  anxious  to  develop  their 
commands  to  the  highest  possible  degree.  All  they 
need  is  intelligent  direction  in  the  right  way.  With 
such  direction  they  may  go  forward  to  the  high 
standard  already  achieved  by  the  few.  To  assist  in 
this  praiseworthy  endeavor  and  thereby  to  lend  a 
helping  hand  in  developing  the  organized  militia  into 
an  effective  element  of  the  national  defense  is  the 
author's  apology  for  these  brief  pages. 

Manila,  P.  L,  November  4,  1907.  A.  C.  S. 


Introduction. 

WHATEVER  Colonel  Sharpe  may  write  on 
military  matters  is  of  special  interest  to 
National  Guardsmen,  because  for  more 
than  a  quarter  of  a  century  he  has  been 
interested  in  the  Guard,  has  been 
closely  associated  with  it,  has  comprehended  its  spe- 
cial problems  and  the  difficulties  under  which  it  la- 
bors, and  has  been  in  hearty  sympathy  with  all  efforts 
of  the  citizen  soldiery  of  the  country  to  improve  in 
military  efficiency.  He  speaks  with  the  authority  of 
one  who  knows,  for  few,  if  any,  officers  of  the  regular 
army  are  better  qualified  or  have  entered  more  heartily 
into  the  military  life  and  experience  of  the  state  troops. 
He  has  been  professor  of  Military  Science  and  Tactics 
in  colleges  and  universities,  has  lectured  to  National 
Guard  companies,  has  inspected  them  in  armory  and 
in  camp,  has  seen  them  on  the  maneuver  field  and  in 
active  service,  both  at  home  and  abroad. 

No  one  can  write  understandingly  about  the  making 
of  an  American  soldier  who  is  not  familiar  with  Amer- 
ican history,  who  does  not  appreciate  the  patch-work 
and  make-shifts  which  make  up  our  military  history, 
and  who  does  not  comprehend  fully  the  peculiar  atti- 


INTRODUCTION  15 

tude  of  the  American  people  toward  things  military. 
We  are  an  intensely  martial  people  in  time  of  war, 
but  in  time  of  peace  are  disposed  to  quickly  forget  all 
the  lessons  of  experience  and  to  trust  to  luck  and  the 
goddess  of  Chance  to  help  us  out  the  next  time  the 
nation  gets  into  trouble. 

We  can  all  wish  for  the  era  of  universal  peace  and 
yet  not  bring  the  millennium  any  closer.  We  know 
wars  have  waged  in  the  past,  and  it  is  not  unlikely 
they  will  occur  again.  It  is  the  part  of  prudence  to  be 
prepared  for  such  an  emergency.  The  Father  of  his 
Country  never  showed  greater  statesmanship  and  pre- 
vision than  in  his  declaration  that  we  should  in  time  of 
peace  prepare  for  war.  Such  preparation  is  the  in- 
surance the  country  pays  for  protection  against  inter- 
national conflagation.  No  householder  expects  or  de- 
sires to  see  his  house  burn  down,  but  the  almost  uni- 
versal custom  of  protecting  combustible  possessions 
by  a  fire  insurance  policy  is  an  expression  of  the  over- 
whelming sentiment  of  the  community  that  it  is  sound 
business  sense  to  so  safeguard  one's  house  and  fur- 
nishings. Under-insurance  or  inadequate  insurance  is 
proportionately  as  bad  policy  as  to  carry  no  insurance 
at  all. 

All  that  is  necessary  to  cause  the  American  people 
to  make  adequate  provision  for  war  is  to  educate  them 
to  the  absolute  necessity  of  such  preparation.  The 
majority  of  enlistments  in  the  Revolutionary  War  were 


16  INTRODUCTION 

for  a  few  days  or  a  few  months  only.  Armies  were 
assembled  for  a  single  campaign,  and  when  the  danger 
was  over  the  army  melted  away  and  the  soldiers  re- 
turned to  their  homes.  In  those  days,  and  even  down 
to  a  much  later  period,  every  man  was  familiar  with 
the  use  of  fire-arms  and  had  a  certain  amount  of  pro- 
ficiency in  their  use.  Discipline  was  much  more  easily 
enforced  in  those  days  than  today,  and  the  need  of 
training  was  perhaps  not  so  marked  as  at  present. 
Our  regular  army  consists  of  but  a  handful  of  men 
and  will  probably  never  be  proportionately  larger  than 
it  is  today.  The  regular  army  cannot  even  consti- 
tute the  first  line  of  defense  in  case  of  foreign  invasion, 
for  the  regiments  and  companies  are  scattered  all  over 
the  United  States,  and  besides  doing  service  in  this 
country  are  now  stationed  in  Cuba,  Alaska,  and  the 
Philippine  Islands. 

In  reality  the  first  line  of  defense  of  any  considerable 
number  of  men  upon  which  the  country  must  rely  in 
case  of  foreign  war  is  the  National  Guard.  Congress 
has  done  much  in  the  past  few  years  for  the  National 
Guard,  and  the  states  themselves  have  considerably 
increased  their  appropriations  for  that  purpose.  Both 
Congress  and  the  states  will  do  much  more  as  they  are 
educated  up  to  the  need  of  increased  appropriations 
for  that  object  and  as  they  are  assured  that  the  money 
thus  appropriated  is  well  expended.  The  people  of 
the  United  States  are  as  patriotic  today  as  ever  and 


INTRODUCTION  17 

would  respond  as  quickly  to  their  country's  defense. 
VVhat  is  needed  is  more  education  as  to  the  necessity 
of  military  preparedness.  It  is  admitted  that  a  modern 
battleship  cannot  be  constructed  in  less  than  two  or 
three  years.  The  people  should  know  that  an  efficient, 
capable  regiment  of  foot-soldiers  cannot  be  made  ready 
for  service  in  a  day  or  a  week  or  a  month.  The  pres- 
ent National  Guard  of  the  United  States  numbers 
about  one  hundred  thousand  men.  This  number 
should  be  doubled  and  made  ready  for  immediate  ser- 
vice. With  such  a  body  of  men,  well  drilled  and 
equipped  and  ready  for  instant  service,  the  country 
would  be  reasonably  secure  against  invasion.  Such  a 
body  would  give  time  for  the  organization  and  equip- 
ment of  levies  of  troops  large  enough  to  meet  any 
demands. 

Numerous  military  books  and  pamphlets  have  been 
published  in  late  years,  more  or  less  similar  in  char- 
acter to  this  work  of  Colonel  Sharpe,  and  all  have 
served  a  good  purpose.  In  many  respects  this  work 
is  one  of  the  very  best  of  its  kind,  because  it  treats 
of  the  subject  of  military  preparedness  in  a  large  and 
general  way,  while  at  the  same  time  dealing  with  those 
matters  of  detail  which  are  of  particular  value  to  the 
enlisted  man.  What  impresses  me  as  of  particular 


18  INTRODUCTION 

value  in  the  work  is  the  insistence  with  which  the 
author  dwells  upon  the  necessity  of  discipline.  Ex- 
cellence in  rifle  shooting  is  absolutely  necessary,  but 
an  untrained,  undisciplined  body  of  sharpshooters 
would  not  make  an  army.  Discipline  must  be  learned 
first.  As  has  been  well  said,  the  three  essential  attri- 
butes of  a  good  soldier  are  discipline,  discipline,  disci- 
pline. It  is  needed  not  only  in  the  execution  of  tactics 
and  of  strategy,  but  it  is  vitally  necessary  for  the  pres- 
ervation of  health.  Our  experience  in  war  has  been 
that  disease  has  carried  off  many  more  men  than 
wounds  caused  by  bullets.  This  vital  point  is  given 
due  prominence  in  the  following  pages,  together  with 
the  remedy. 

I  commend  the  book  most  heartily  to  the  careful 
study  of  every  officer  and  enlisted  man  in  the  National 
Guard,  and  also  as  a  valuable  medium  for  the  educa- 
tion of  every  American  citizen  in  the  necessity  of  mili- 
t:.ry  preparedness  and  of  the  only  true  way  to  accom- 
plish that  much  desired  result. 

CHARLES  DICK, 

Major  General, 
Commanding  Ohio  National  Guard. 


Making  a  Soldier. 


CHAPTER  I. 


Discipline. 

"An  army  without  discipline  is  useless  in  war  and 
dangerous  in  peace." — Bismarck. 

What  is  discipline  and  what  is  its  function  in  an 
army?  Does  it  mean  an  inflexible  system  of  iron  clad 
rules,  severe,  inexorable,  sometimes  even  cruel? 
Does  it  imply  a  draconian  code  of  regulations  so 
harsh  and  exacting  that  a  self-respecting  man  could 
hardly  comply  with  them  and  yet  the  slightest  viola- 
tion of  which  means  swift  and  excessive  punishment? 
Is  it  enforced  only  under  the  spur  and  lash  of  fear, 
with  a  court-martial  ever  in  sight  and  the  guard 
house,  on  bread  and  water,  ever  impending?  No,  it 
is  none  of  these;  and  yet,  strangely  enough,  this  is 
often  found  to  be  the  popular  idea,  and  many  intel- 
ligent citizens,  otherwise  well  informed,  have  been 
heard  to  say  they  would  rather  see  their  sons  go  to 
jail  than  to  go  into  the  army.  Judges  also  have  been 
known  to  turn  young  criminals  loose  on  condition 
that  they  would  enlist  in  either  the  Navy  or  Army, 
thereby  stigmatizing  service  in  these  honorable  em- 


20  MAKING   A   SOLDIER. 

ployments  as  an  alternative  to  servitude  in  a  peni- 
tentiary! But  unlike  prison  control  the  discipline 
which  distinguishes  and  adorns  the  profession  of  arms 
is  not  acquired  thru  fear  of  punishment  or  hope  of 
reward.  It  is  not  like  a  garment  which  can  be  sud- 
denly put  on  at  the  will  of  the  wearer  and  as  suddenly 
laid  aside.  Military  discipline  is  simply  a  habit,  and 
it  is  a  habit  of  slow  and  sometimes  imperceptible 
growth.  Moreover,  once  really  acquired  it  can  never 
be  laid  aside.  This  is  illustrated  in  old  soldiers  who 
have  learned  to  march.  If  a  band  is  playing  in  pro- 
per time  they  are  unconsciously  impelled  to  "take 
step."  Tho  they  may  have  been  out  of  service  many 
years,  if  they  meet  one  of  their  former  superior 
officers  they  involuntarily  touch  the  cap. 

Like  all  habits  which  men  acquire,  discipline  is 
learned  by  frequent  repetition — by  doing  certain 
things  over  and  over  again  until  they  finally  become, 
as  it  were,  "second  nature."  The  man  himself  may 
not  be  aware  that  he  is  acquiring  the  habit — in  fact 
it  is  usually  less  perceptible  to  him  than  to  his  friends. 
But  gradually,  without  knowing  just  when  or  how, 
he  loses  his  angular  movements  and  awkward  poses; 
he  forgets  his  hands  and  has  no  trouble  in  getting 
along  with  his  feet.  He  gets  his  head  up,  and  chin 


MAKING  A  SOLDIER.  21 

in,  and  takes  on  an  air  of  alertness.  He  develops  self- 
reliance,  and  can  be  trusted  to  carry  out  an  order. 
In  a  word,  he  has  become  a  soldier.  Fortunate,  in- 
deed, is  the  youth  who  has  opportunity  to  pass  thru 
such  a  course  of  training,  and  it  would  be  a  glad  day 
for  the  great  Republic  if  every  boy  of  the  land,  in  the 
formative  period  of  his  character,  could  be  permitted, 
nay,  required,  to  pass  thru  such  a  rare  school. 

The  object  of  military  discipline,  however,  is  not 
merely  to  develop  the  individual  soldier  for  the 
separate  or  individual  action.  While  there  are  many 
occasions  where  he  must  act  alone,  such  as  sentinel 
duty,  scouting,  etc.,  where  his  soldierly  habit  will  be 
highly  valuable,  the  great  test  of  his  training  will 
come  in  the  troop,  battery  or  company  where  he  is  to 
work  in  accord  with  others,  all  guided  and  controlled 
by  a  single  directing  mind.  No  matter  how  well  dis- 
ciplined every  other  man  may  have  become,  if  he  has 
not  acquired  the  habit  he  may  compromise  and  pos- 
sibly ruin  the  whole  command.  I  remember  once 
seeing  a  beautiful  company  at  a  competitive  drill.  It 
had  about  finished  its  program  and  by  the  marks 
of  all  the  judges  had  the  laurels  well  within  its  grasp, 
when  suddenly  a  man  right  in  the  center  of  the  front 
rank  was  seen  to  spit!  And  the  handsome  prize  was 


22  MAKING  A  SOLDIER. 

swept  away!  The  history  of  war  furnishes  many 
bloody  examples  of  disaster  due  to  the  failure  of  a 
single  organization  to  do  its  allotted  part.  These 
failures  have  resulted  almost  invariably  from  lack  of 
discipline  and  cohesion,  or  the  ability  to  work  together 
and  do  things  in  the  manner  and  at  the  time  specified. 
At  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run  the  Union  forces  were 
composed  of  as  patriotic  and  brave  young  men  as 
ever  went  to  war,  but  they  were  not  soldiers;  they 
had  not  had  time  to  acquire  the  military  habit;  they 
were  simply  a  crowd,  an  aggregation  of  civilians  in 
uniform  with  guns  in  their  hands.  And  so  they 
wandered  along  the  Centerville  road  with  little 
semblance  of  formation,  stopping  now  and  then  to 
pick  blackberries,  and  also  pick  their  steps  in  a 
gingerly  way  around  mud  puddles !  When  spoken 
to  by  their  officers  and  urged  to  press  on  they  "talked 
back"  or  greeted  their  admonitions  with  cat-calls  and 
laughter.  On  the  night  when  Gen.  McDowell  decided 
to  send  a  portion  of  his  troops  around  by  Sudley 
Springs  so  as  to  strike  the  Confederate  left  about  day- 
light the  whole  movement  failed  largely  because  one 
of  the  brigades  blocked  the  road,  fell  into  confusion, 
and  could  not  be  handled  in  its  allotted  time.  The 
same  thing  has  been  frequently  seen  at  our  maneuvers 
where  many  National  Guard  organizations  got  utterly 


MAKING  A  SOLDIER.  23 

out  of  hand,  especially  after  the  conclusion  of  the 
exercise,  and  wandered  back  to  their  camps  in  great 
disorder.  But  it  is  not  necessary  to  dwell  on  our  de- 
fects. Every  intelligent  officer  knows  that  if  we  would 
handle  regiments  and  brigades  and  divisions,  we  must 
first  be  able  to  handle  battalions  and  companies  and 
squads,  and  the  whole  system  therefore  upon  which 
military  operation  is  based  relates  back  to  the  ele- 
mentary training  and  depends  for  its  effectiveness 
upon  the  thoroness  with  which  the  soldier  in  the 
ranks,  as  well  as  the  officer  over  him,  has  acquired 
this  indispensable  habit  which  we  call  discipline. 

Now,  as  already  stated,  discipline  is  of  slow 
growth.  It  is  not  acquired  in  a  day;  it  cannot  be 
learned  by  reading  books,  or  listening  to  lectures, 
nor  even  by  watching  others  who  have  acquired  it. 
It  is  not  learned  at  maneuvers,  nor  on  outpost  duty, 
nor  in  a  sham  battle.  On  the  contrary  it  is  the  ten- 
dency of  field  duty  to  relax  the  bands  of  discipline. 
Street  parades  and  target  practice,  guard  duty  and 
practice  marches — these  and  other  like  features  of 
instruction  have  their  distinct  value  and  proper  place, 
but  none  of  them  furnishes  the  school  in  which  to  lay 
the  foundation  of  military  character  and  acquire  the 
military  habit  which  we  call  discipline. 


24  MAKING  A  SOLDIER. 

It  is  natural,  then,  that  a  feature  of  such  vital  con- 
cern in  the  making  of  a  soldier  should  have  received 
the  best  thought  of  the  best  soldiers  in  all  ages,  and 
that  a  special  system  of  education  or  training  should 
have  been  devised  for  its  development.  This  system 
is  essentially  the  same  in  all  armies  and  is  what  we 
know  as  Drill.  As  already  intimated,  this  drill  is  the 
only  method  ever  devised  by  the  wisdom  of  man 
whereby  a  recruit  can  be  transformed  into  a  soldier. 

Strange  as  it  may  appear,  and  unfortunate  as  it 
may  some  day  prove  to  be,  there  are  -  thousands  of 
good  people  today  who  have  no  appreciation  of  this 
truth,  and  who  actually  believe  that  any  man  who  is 
brave  and  in  good  health  can  be  transformed  into  a 
soldier  by  the  mere  oath  of  enlistment!  Even  in 
some  National  Guard  organizations  which  have  come 
under  my  observation  this  dangerous  error  prevails 
to  such  an  extent  that  men  have  had  rifles  thrust  into 
their  hands  and  been  even  put  on  guard  before  they 
had  had  half  a  dozen  drills!  To  allow  such  a  man 
to  make  a  spectacle  of  himself  in  such  a  way  is  not 
only  unfair  to  the  man  himself,  but  betrays  a  curious 
lack  of  pride  in  the  company  commander  who  is 
willing  to  permit  it.  I  remember  on  one  occasion  of 
this  kind  overhearing  a  group  of  colored  waiters  near 


MAKING  A  SOLDIER.  25 

the  Headquarters  mess  commenting  with  explosive 
laughter  on  the  grotesque  appearance  of  some  men  at 
guard-mounting.  Some  of  these  unfortunates  had 
their  collars  turned  up,  a  button  or  two  open,  their 
hats  bearing  fancy  metal  ornaments  with  the  brim 
turned  up  at  the  side:  some  wore  the  hat  in  a  peak 
after  the  fashion  of  Mother  Goose !  Several  had 
quids  of  tobacco  or  chewing  gum  in  their  mouths  and 
were  occasionally  seen  to  spit.  No  effort  had  been 
made  to  shave  or  clean  up,  and  the  shoes  were 
covered  with  mud.  These  conditions  and  fantastic 
decorations  had  apparently  not  been  noticed  by  the 
ist  Sergeants  before  marching  out.  At  least  the  men 
informed  me  that  they  had  not  corrected  them,  and 
they  were  not  aware  that  anything  was  wrong.  As  if 
to  accentuate  the  ludicrous  spectacle,  a  dog,  playing 
about,  frequently  ran  between  the  legs  of  a  man  in 
the  front  rank  who  accommodatingly  stood  with  his 
feet  nearly  a  yard  apart!  Meanwhile,  the  band 
(which  happily  knew  its  part  all  right)  played  on  to 
the  delight  of  the  waiters,  to  whose  eyes  the  whole 
thing  was  a  precious  bit  of  opera  bouffe  but  to  the 
military  eye  it  foreshadowed  a  tragedy. 

What  a  contrast  to  this  picture  was  presented  by 
another  command  from  the  same  state,  which,  with 


26  MAKING   A   SOLDIER. 

no  better  opportunities  and  in  the  face  of  great  ob- 
stacles, had  perfected  itself  in  almost  every  detail  of 
uniform,  equipment  and  drill,  and  therefore  in  dis- 
cipline, to  a  point  beyond  criticism.  Following  is  an 
extract  from  the  official  report : 

"The  equipments  are  complete,  in  excellent  con- 
dition and  all  properly  marked.  *  *  *  *  Hats  were 
all  worn  properly  and  every  one  had  its  cord,  this 
being  the  first  organization  I  have  seen  here  of  which 
this  could  be  said.  *  *  *  *  The  interior  of  the  tents 
and  the  grounds  adjacent  presented  a  very  neat  and 
orderly  appearance.  *  *  *  *  In  assembling  for  all 
duties  the  men  are  prompt  *  *  *  *  and  showed  snap, 
alertness  and  understanding."  Referring  further  to 
the  drill  and  spirit  of  this  organization  the  report 
says :  "It  illustrates  in  a  striking  way  the  possibilities 
of  an  organization  of  this  kind  under  an  energetic 
commander.  The  excellent  condition  of  the  equip- 
ment, the  discipline  and  esprit  of  the  men,  and  the 
fine  drill  under  such  conditions  reflect  great  credit 
on  the  captain."  And  again,  after  describing  the 
work  which  this  organization  carries  on  in  its  armory, 
"The  effect  of  this  patient  and  persistent  work  in  the 
armory  was  manifest  in  the  field  not  only  in  the  exe- 
cution at  drill  but  at  all  times  in  the  bearing  of  the 


MAKING    A    SOLDIER.  27 

men  and  especially  in  the  cohesion,  alacrity  and  con- 
fidence of  their  movements.  *  *  *  *  There  was  never 
any  lagging  or  delay,  no  tardy  ones  crawling  sleepily 
out  after  the  roll-call  had  begun.  The  punctuality, 
the  'go'  in  everything  was  most  admirable."  The 
Inspector's  report  also  showed  that  these  men  were 
able  to.  do  some  fine  shooting. 

Manifestly  here  is  a  militia  organization  which 
in  spite  of  great  discouragements  and  difficulties  has 
qualified  itself  for  war.  When  the  tocsin  sounds  it 
need  make  no  excuses,  nor  ask  for  any  odds.  It  can 
answer  "ready."  Why  may  not  every  other  troop, 
battery  and  company  aspire  to  reach  the  same  high 
plane  ? 


CHAPTER  II. 

Drill. 

We  have  tried  in  the  preceding  pages  to  indicate 
the  importance  of  acquiring  the  military  habit  which 
we  call  discipline,  and  we  have  pointed  out  that  the 
only  way  of  acquiring  this  habit  is  thru  the  system 
of  exercises  which  we  designate  by  the  name  of  drill. 

Drill,  especially  in  its  elementary  stages,  is  not 
very  agreeable.  In  fact,  it  is  hard  work,  and  unless 
the  drillmaster  is  capable  and  wise  it  may  become 
very  irksome.  A  committee  of  congress  many  years 
ago  was  charged  with  preparing  a  system  of  popular 
military  training  and  in  submitting  their  report  de- 
clared their  opinion  that  there  was  "nothing  more 
disgusting  to  the  grown  man"  than  the  elementary 
training  of  military  drill.  This  is  undoubtedly  true 
if  it  is  not  conducted  wisely.  If  a  new  man  becomes 
weary  and  dispirited  it  will  be  difficult  to  hold  his 
attention,  and  without  attention  nothing  can  be  ac- 
complished. While  the  chief  end  of  drill  is  to  knit 
or  unify  a  command  together  into  an  intelligent 
machine,  instantly  responsive  to  a  directing  will,  it 
is  well  to  take  advantage  of  every  occasion  which 


MAKING  A  SOLDIER.  29 

may  contribute  to  esprit  de  corps  or  win  public  com- 
mendation or  applause.  This  does  not  mean  that  we 
should  return  to  the  precise  execution  of  former 
days  when  great  competitive  drills  were  held  and 
great  money  prizes  were  won  or  lost  by  the  mathe- 
matical position  of  a  man's  thumb.  Those  fine  exhi- 
bitions were  as  extreme  in  their  hair-splitting 
refinements  as  some  of  the  fancy  shooting  which  is 
now  absorbing  too  much  attention.  Whatever  will 
be  of  value  on  the  field  of  battle  should  be  assiduously 
cultivated;  beyond  that  we  need  not  go,  unless,  as 
above  suggested,  we  can  thereby  sustain  interest. 
Therefore  an  occasional  exhibition  drill  before  an 
appreciative  audience  will  be  found  helpful. 

Notwithstanding  its  dull  monotony  the  elementary 
training  or  school  of  the  soldier  is  the  most  import- 
ant part  of  the  drill  book.  It  should  therefore  be 
intrusted  to  the  most  skillful  instructors  and  always 
supervised  by  an  officer.  It  is  a  bad  plan  to  let  a  new 
corporal  practice  on  a  recruit.  He  will  probably  give 
him  a  very  erroneous  idea  of  drill  which  it  will  take 
a  good  instructor  a  long  time  to  remove.  While  the 
course  should  be  progressive  and  the  man  be  advanced 
as  rapidly  as  he  becomes  thoroly  grounded,  yet  it  is 
more  important  not  to  go  too  fast.  It  is  wise  at  this 


30  MAKING  A  SOLDIER. 

stage  to  "make  haste  slowly."  Bear  in  mind  also 
that  drill  does  not  consist  merely  in  learning  how  to 
do  an  exercise.  It  means  also  such  a  repetition  as 
will  produce  the  habit  of  doing  it  "without  thinking." 
Thus,  for  instance,  a  man  is  taught  to  stand  in  the 
position  of  the  soldier.  It  is  simple  and  easily  under- 
stood. Any  man  can  learn  how  to  do  it  with  absolute 
correctness  and  yet  he  may  go  out  to  guard  mounting, 
be  thinking  of  something  else,  and  forget  to  keep  his 
heels  together.  But  if  you  have  drilled,  that  is,  cor- 
rected and  admonished  him  often  enough  he  will  in 
time  so  acquire  the  habit  of  keeping  his  heels  together 
that  he  can't  forget.  He  stands  correctly  without 
trying.  In  fact,  he  would  feel  that  something  was 
out  of  place  if  he  were  standing  otherwise. 

Officers  of  the  organized  militia  upon  whom  I 
have  sought  to  impress  the  importance  of  drill  have 
reminded  me  of  the  limited  time  available  to  them  and 
of  the  many  other  obstacles  which  beset  their  path 
in  carrying  out  any  systematic  course  of  training. 
But  with  all  due  allowance  for  these  adverse  condi- 
tions— and  I  know  that  in  some  states  they  are  cer- 
tainly discouraging  —  I  yet  believe  that  a  better 
adjustment  or  division  of  time  could  be  arranged 
whereby  more  work  can  be  devoted  to  drill  and  still 


MAKING  A  SOLDIER.  31 

leave  a  fair  proportion  to  other  lines  of  instruction. 
Twenty  years  ago,  before  maneuvers  and  target  prac- 
tice were  introduced,  drills  and  ceremonies  absorbed 
a  large  share  of  the  time.  Today  the  pendulum 
seems  to  have  swung  to  the  other  extreme,  con- 
centrating most  of  our  energies  on  fine  shooting  and 
maneuvers  to  the  great  neglect  of  drill.  Neither  ex- 
treme is  desirable,  and  we  should  endeavor  to  get 
back  to  a  golden  mean,  neglecting  nothing,  but  giving 
all  features  their  proper  share  of  time.  In  making 
this  apportionment,  if  any  favors  are  to  be  shown,  I 
would  advise  the  National  Guardsman  to  give  the 
"Lion's  Share"  to  drill.  This  does  not  mean  that 
other  lines  of  instruction  are  to  be  slighted.  Target 
practice  is  certainly  to  be  fostered  in  every  proper 
way.  A  man  who  cannot  shoot  will  be  of  little  use  on 
the  firing  line.  Also  the  lessons  which  we  learn  at 
maneuvers  cannot  be  overestimated.  But  in  urging 
the  extension  of  target  practice  and  the  institution  of 
maneuvers  it  was  never  intended  that  the  drill,  which 
is  'the  only  school  in  which  men  can  be  made  fit  to  go 
to  the  rifle  range  and  maneuvers,  should  be  relaxed 
or  neglected. 

It   is  sometimes   erroneously   supposed  that   drill 
means   merely   the   formal   positions   and   movements 


32  MAKING  A  SOLDIER. 

laid  down  in  the  book.  These  of  course  should  be 
thoroly  learned,  and  as  the  book  itself  says,  "fre- 
quently recurred  to."  But  in  addition  to  these  exer- 
cises there  should  be  a  quick  inspection  at  every 
formation,  and  if  there  is  anything  out  of  place  it 
should  be  pointed  out  and  corrected  on  the  spot. 
Opportunity  should  be  given  every  drill  night  for 
some  "orderly  duty,"  such  as  carrying  messages,  etc. 
Every  man  should  be  placed  on  post  as  often  as  pos- 
sible and  practiced  in  "turning  out  the  guard,"  re- 
peating calls,  "turning  over  his  orders,"  etc.  There 
are  very  few  men  who  know  much  about  the  duties 
of  an  orderly,  and  yet  there  is  probably  no  position 
in  which  a  well  instructed  man  can  "show  off"  to 
better  advantage.  Every  visitor  to  camp  sees  him, 
every  one  who  calls  to  pay  his  respects  to  the  Com- 
manding officer  is  met  by  him  and  escorted  in.  He 
above  all  others  has  opportunity  to  make  a  favorable 
impression  on  the  public  and  win  friends  by  his 
courtesy,  by  little  polite  attentions,  answering  ques- 
tions, assisting  visitors  to  alight  from  carriages, 
offering  a  camp  stool,  etc.  These  courtesies  should  be 
practiced  in  the  armory.  American  boys  know  that 
they  should  be  observed  but  unless  practically  trained 
they  are  very  liable  to  neglect  them.  In  all  these 


MAKING  A  SOLDIER.  33 

details,  of  course,  the  commissioned  officers  should 
set  the  example.  They  thus  help  the  soldier  to  get 
accustomed  to  doing  the  right  thing  with  ease  and  as 
a  matter  of  course.  Officers  who  see  omissions  and 
errors  of  this  kind  sometimes  hesitate  to  correct  them 
for  fear  of  giving  offense.  But  it  is  a  well  established 
fact  that  the  man  in  ranks  has  a  great  deal  more 
respect  for  the  man  who  is  constantly  trying  to  teach 
him  than  for  the  one  who  is  apparently  indifferent 
and  neglecting  him.  It  is  a  sheer  waste  of  time  to 
go  thru  a  drill  without  correcting  an  error,  and  the 
old  soldier  knows  it.  He  knows  that  mistakes  are 
constantly  being  made  by  the  less  instructed  men  and 
that  either  the  officer  can't  see  them  or  is  too  timid 
to  correct  them.  In  either  case  the  time  is  being 
wasted.  Nobody  is  learning  or  improving. 

Another  feature  of  elementary  training  which 
seems  to  have  become  almost  a  "lost  art"  is  the  setting 
up  exercise.  Every  company  drill  should  begin  with 
it,^  tho  the  men  have  had  it  a  thousand  times.  The 
drill  master  should  also  never  tire  of  teaching  his  men 
to  salute — not  hoiv  to  salute — they  all  know  how, 
perhaps,  but  teach  them  by  constant  repetition  to  do 
it.  Some  men  salute  fairly  well  all  officers  of  their 
own  regiment,  but  should  they  meet  an  officer  from 


34  MAKING   A   SOLDIER. 

some  other  camp,  or  from  the  Army  or  Navy,  they 
forget  to  be  courteous.  Practice  the  men  in  rising 
and  standing  at  attention  when  an  officer  enters,  not 
confining  the  instruction  merely  to  an  admonition 
and  to  the  first  arrival,  but  making  it  the  subject  of 
repeated  exercise.  Good  non-commissioned  officers 
can  be  relied  on  to  perfect  a  company  in  these  details, 
but  they  must  be  given  frequent  opportunity.  The 
more  attention  you  give  to  the  individual  soldier  in 
the  early  part  of  his  career  the  better  your  progress, 
and  the  better  your  discipline  and  cohesion  will  be 
later  on.  I  believe  the  greatest  difficulty  which  the 
drill  master  in  a  National  Guard  organization  has  to 
contend  with  is  the  restless  eagerness  to  push  on  to 
advanced  instruction.  This  is  too  often  yielded  to, 
and  then  their  company  commanders  wonder  why  the 
Inspector  does  not  grade  them  very  high. 

Finally,  I  would  admonish  every  drill  master  to 
lay  out  in  his  own  mind,  before  he  goes  to  his  squad 
or  company,  just  what  he  is  going  to  do — the  pro- 
gram he  intends  to  follow,  and  he  should  be  careful 
not  to  lay  out  too  much.  This  is  the  only  way  in 
which  we  can  make  rational  progress,  and  the  only 
way  to  develop  good  commanders.  Every  corporal 
should  be  required  to  drill  his  own  squad  at  least  a 
few  minutes  each  drill  with  an  outline  of  the  course 
that  is  to  be  pursued.  The  officers  and  sergeants 


MAKING  A   SOLDIER.  35 

should  supervise  them  and  see  that  they  do  not  get 
in  advance  of  the  program.  All  non-commissioned 
officers  should  be  given  occasional  opportunity  to  act 
in  the  next  higher  grades. 

These  and  many  other  details  which  will  occur  to 
company  commanders  will  go  far  towards  keeping 
up  interest  in  drill.  They  are  so  obvious  and  simple 
as  to  seem  not  worth  mentioning,  yet  I  have  dwelt 
on  them  here  because  there  are  hundreds  of  officers 
who  do  not  practice  them  and  who  therefore  probably 
do  not  appreciate  their  value.  They  have  excellent 
men,  well  equipped,  and  some  of  them  enjoy  very 
good  armories.  Yet  they  come  year  after  year  to 
the  maneuvers  or  camps  of  instruction  with  no  ade- 
quate preparation  for  such  advanced  work.  To  such 
officers  we  appeal  to  establish  some  rational  course 
for  the  training  of  their  men,  at  home,  in  the  armory, 
remembering  that  once  launched  into  the  field,  either 
in  active  service  or  in  mimic  warfare  at  maneuvers, 
it  is  too  late  to  try  to  make  soldiers.  That  should  be 
done  as  far  as  possible  before  you  come.  The 
maneuvers  are  a  school  for  officers,  in  which  they  are 
to  move  the  battalions  and  squadrons  and  batteries  in 
the  great  game  like  chessmen  on  the  board.  If  the 
drill  has  been  neglected,  if  the  units  lack  discipline 
and  cohesion,  you  are  defeated  before  you  begin. 


CHAPTER  III. 


The  Soldier's  Health. 

It  has  generally  been  found  difficult  to  interest 
soldiers  in  proper  measures  for  the  care  of  their 
health.  The  National  Guardsman  or  volunteer  is 
willing  to  take  his  chances  in  battle,  and  if  wounded, 
knows  that  the  surgeon  and  hospital  corps  men  will 
be  at  hand  to  care  for  him.  But  he  makes  little  cal- 
culation on  the  ravages  of  disease  and,  unless  he  is 
well  disciplined,  often  disregards  the  regulations 
prescribed  for  his  protection.  He  should  bear  in  mind, 
however,  that  in  all  our  wars  disease  has  killed  more 
than  twice  as  many  men  as  bullets.  In  the  great  con- 
flict of  1861-5  the  Union  Armies  lost  in  round  num- 
bers about  100,000  killed  or  died  of  wounds  while 
over  200,000  died  of  disease.  And  in  our  brief  war 
with  Spain  the  disproportion  was  even  much  greater. 
Campaigns  have  failed  and  the  general's  best  laid 
plans  have  had  to  be  abandoned  because  of  a  large  sick 
report.  A  sick  man  not  only  drops  out  of  ranks  him- 
self but  he  requires  some  other  man  to  drop  out  to 
care  for  him,  and  he  fills  a  place  in  the  ambulance 
or  hospital  which  should  be  reserved  for  the  wounded. 


MAKING  A  SOLDIER.  37 

It  will  therefore  be  seen  that  it  is  of  the  utmost 
importance  to  preserve  the  health  of  the  men.  Pre- 
ponderance of  fire  is  the  great  desideratum  in  battle 
and  the  captain  must  therefore  strive  to  bring  to  the 
firing  line  every  rifle  in  his  company.  If  the  com- 
pany is  so  reduced  by  disease  and  by  details  caring  for 
the  sick  that  it  cannot  fill  its  allotted  space,  its 
effectiveness  is  destroyed.  Weak  and  demoralized 
companies  are  left  at  the  rear  to  guard  the  trains. 

Company  commanders  sometimes  seem  to  think 
that  they  are  not  responsible  for  the  health  of  their 
men.  They  say  the  Medical  Department  is  charged 
with  all  matters  relating  to  disease ;  if  the  men  fall 
sick  it  is  the  doctor's  business  to  cure  them.  But  this 
is  a  very  mistaken  notion,  calculated  to  do  infinite 
harm.  Every  company  or  detachment  commander 
is  quite  as  responsible  as  the  surgeon,  in  fact,  more 
so,  and  it  is  a  grave  reflection  on  his  fitness  for  his 
position  if  he  habitually  has  a  large  sick  list.  It  in- 
dicates that  something  is  wrong  and  he  is  not  correct- 
ing it.  The  experience  of  late  wars  shows  that  the 
diseases  which  most  commonly  attack  soldiers,  such 
as  typhoid  fever  and  bowel  disorders,  are  preventable. 
Therefore  it  is  the  commanding  officer's  business  to 
do  his  utmost  to  prevent  their  appearance.  If  they 


38  MAKING  A  SOLDIER. 

prevail  to  any  extent  in  camp  it  indicates  that  some- 
body is  neglecting  his  duty.  Company  commanders 
should  therefore  instruct  their  men  in  the  simple 
elements  of  hygiene  before  going  to  camp.  If  there 
is  a  medical  officer  available  invite  him  to  give  the 
company  a  few  brief  talks.  If  not,  perhaps  some 
physician  of  the  city  would  be  willing  to  lend  his 
assistance. 

Immediately  upon  arrival  in  camp  (and  before,  if 
possible)  see  that  proper  latrines  are  provided.  Form 
the  company  and  warn  them  against  polluting  the 
ground.  Indeed,  it  would  be  safer  to  do  this  before 
they  are  allowed  to  break  ranks.  Explain  to  them 
again,  what  the  surgeon  has  probably  told  them  be- 
fore, how  flies  carry  infection  and  why  they  should 
all  help  to  keep  the  excreta  covered  and  the  camp 
clean.  Let  every  man  see  that  you  are  relying  on  him 
individually  to  do  his  part  to  preserve  the  health  and 
the  reputation  of  the  command.  Do  not  fail  to  inspect 
the  latrines  and  kitchens  and  quarters  every  day. 
These  inspections  are  prescribed  by  Army  Regulations 
but  in  some  National  Guard  camps  they  are  very 
little  observed.  If  there  is  a  speck  of  food,  a  potato 
skin,  an  egg  shell,  a  lemon  peel,  a  scrap  of  meat,  a 
crumb  of  bread,  a  spoonful  of  coffee  grounds — any- 


MAKING  A  SOLDIER.  39 

thing,  in  short,  which  can  attract  a  fly  or  create  an 
odor,  or  offend  the  sight,  call  the  kitchen  police  or 
fatigue  detail  and  have  it  attended  to  on  the  spot. 
Take  no  chances.  Do  not  leave  the  spot  till  you  see 
it  done.  You  may  remain  only  a  few  days  or  a  week 
in  camp,  but  do  not  neglect  it  on  that  account.  The 
camp  is  a  camp  of  instruction  and  no  lesson  is  more 
important  than  this. 

It  would  be  well  for  the  Commanding  Officer  to 
instruct  the  Officer  of  the  Day  and  one  of  his  sur- 
geons to  go  over  the  entire  camp  at  least  once  every 
day.  The  Officer  of  the  Day  should  require  every 
delinquent  to  clean  up  his  grounds  immediately.  The 
surgeon  should  be  directed  to  make  a  written  report 
of  unsatisfactory  conditions  and  this  should  be  re- 
ferred to  the  offending  company  commander  for  such 
explanation  as  he  may  wish  to  submit.  A  repeated 
offense  or  habitual  negligence  should  receive  drastic 
treatment. 

Official  inspection  reports  show  in  some  states  a 
'remarkable  inattention  to  the  personal  appearance  and 
habits  of  the  men.  It  would  be  advisable  just  before 
going  to  camp  to  see  that  every  man  has  his  hair  cut. 
Army  Regulations  require  that  the  hair  and  beard  be 
kept  neatly  trimmed,  and  yet  men  are  sometimes  seen 


40  MAKING  A  SOLDIER. 

at  guard  mounting  and  other  ceremonies  who  look 
as  tho  they  had  not  seen  a  razor  for  a  month.  First 
Sergeants  have  been  seen  to  march  a  detail  out  to 
guard  mounting  in  very  unkempt  condition,  some 
with  blouses  unbuttoned,  a  collar  turned  up  or  orna- 
ments missing,  tobacco  in  the  mouth,  the  hat  cocked 
into  a  grotesque  shape,  perhaps  a  fancy  badge  or 
decoration  pinning  up  one  side.  These  are  little  de- 
tails which  may  not  seem  important  but  they  catch 
the  eye  of  an  Inspector  and  mark  the  difference 
between  a  soldier  and  a  bumpkin.  If  the  man  is 
careful  to  observe  orders  in  these  apparently  trifling 
matters,  being  neat  in  person,  having  his  clothing  and 
shoes  clean,  and  the  grounds  about  his  tent  properly 
policed,  the  chances  are  that  he  can  be  relied  on  in 
other  details  and  will  do  his  part  to  maintain  the 
health  and  efficiency  of  the  command. 

National  Guard  officers  often  grow  discouraged 
when  they  contemplate  the  innumerable  requirements 
essential  to  the  making  of  a  soldier,  but  whatever  else 
they  may  be  tempted  to  omit  they  should  ever  bear 
in  mind  that  without  health  their  effectiveness  is 
gone,  and  no  matter  how  excellent  their  equipment, 
how  perfect  their  drill,  how  accurate  their  shooting 
or  fine  their  maneuvers,  if,  when  the  hour  of  action  ar- 


MAKING  A  SOLDIER.  41 

rives,  half  their  men  are  sick  and  half  the  remainder 
engaged  in  taking  care  of  the  sick,  as  was  the  case 
with  some  of  the  regiments  in  1898,  they  are  of  no 
value  in  the  field.  In  fact  they  are  an  impediment,  as 
they  have  to  be  fed  and  clothed  and  paid,  and  yet 
render  no  service  in  return. 

It  hardly  seems  necessary  in  these  days  of  physical 
culture  to  suggest  the  military  value  of  athletic  sports 
and  games.  Nothing  contributes  more  to  the  con- 
tentment (and  therefore  the  health)  of  soldiers  than  a 
rational  intermixture  of  duty  and  amusement.  It  is 
an  old  saying  that  "All  work  and  no  play  makes  Jack 
a  dull  boy."  Every  encouragement  should  therefore 
be  given  to  such  games  as  base-ball,  foot-ball,  polo, 
etc.,  and  where  troops  are  to  be  located  in  semi- 
permanent camps  they  should  be  allowed  liberal 
opportunity  to  hunt  and  fish.  To  promote  athletic 
training  Field  Days  should  be  instituted  and  competi- 
tion aroused  among  the  companies  in  such  events  as 
running,  jumping,  relay  racing,  wall  scaling,  tent 
pitching,  rescue  racing,  etc. 

Care  should  be  taken  in  rainy  or  cold  weather  to 
see  that  men  do  not  remain  indoors  too  much.  Card 
playing  and  other  sedentary  games  help  to  while 
away  the  hours,  but  if  soldiers  neglect  to  get  out  and 


42  MAKING   A   SOLDIER. 

move  about  a  portion  of  each  day  they  cannot  be  kept 
in  prime  physical  condition. 

Every  one  appreciates  the  stirring  inspiration  of 
good  music,  especially  of  the  war  songs  of  one's 
country.  In  some  foreign  armies  the  influence  of 
music  is  so  highly  valued  that  certain  men  are  de- 
tailed in  each  company  to  lead  the  singing,  and  all 
soldiers  are  taught  and  required  to  join  in  singing  the 
patriotic  and  martial  airs  of  the  land.  Frequent  band 
concerts  should  be  given  wherever  there  is  a  band 
available,  and  the  men  should  also  be  encouraged  to 
form  glee  clubs.  Sometimes  there  is  a  funny  man 
who  can  sing  a  side  splitting  song,  or  tell  a  good 
story,  or  make  a  humorous  speech.  He  is  worth  much 
to  the  company.  Sometimes  one  will  give  an  exhibi- 
tion in  the  "black  art,"  or  possibly  a  clever  group  can 
be  organized  to  give  open  air  theatricals. 

All  these  and  similar  amusements  are  valuable  in 
their  effect  on  the  spirits  of  the  men,  and  go  far 
towards  promoting  good  feeling  and  therefore  good 
health. 

Let  us  repeat,  then,  that  it  must  ever  be  the  ambi- 
tion of  the  company  commander  to  bring  every 
possible  rifle  to  the  firing  line.  To  do  this  he  must 
preserve  the  health  of  his  men;  and  to  preserve  the 


MAKING   A   SOLDIER.  43 

health  of  his  men  requires  intelligent  and  unremitting 
attention  to  sanitary  details.  He  is  not  only  respon- 
sible for  the  cooking  and  regularity  of  his  company's 
meals,  the  proper  use  of  their  clothing  and  bedding, 
the  ventilation  of  their  quarters  or  tents,  the  cleanli- 
ness of  their  habits,  and  the  daily  exercise  of  their 
bodies,  but  also  for  the  contentment  of  their  minds. 
If  after  he  has  done  his  utmost  there  is  still  sickness, 
discontent,  and  lack  of  efficiency,  he  cannot  be  held  to 
blame.  But  this  will  seldom  happen,  for  while  it  is 
no  easy  matter  to  be  a  competent  company  commander 
the  captain  will  nevertheless  find  that  just  in  propor- 
tion as  he  approaches  the  requirements  of  good  health 
and  good  discipline  will  his  company  be  found  ready, 
reliable  and  responsive  to  his  will. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


The  Soldier's  Habits. 

Intemperate  language,  like  immoderate  drinking 
or  other  vicious  habits,  is  liable  to  injure  a  soldier 
more  than  other  men.  The  soldier  is  looked  upon  in 
a  special  sense  as  the  guardian  of  the  people's  lib- 
erties and  the  defender  of  the  flag.  If  he  is  seen  in 
an  intoxicated  condition,  or  if  his  language  is  coarse 
and  obscene,  public  confidence  is  shaken  and  respect 
for  the  uniform  is  liable  to  be  impaired.  Members  of 
the  legislature  have  been  known  to  refuse  their  sup- 
port to  appropriations  for  the  National  Guard  be- 
cause they  believed  the  camps  were  mere  picnic  occa- 
sions where  the  men  received  a  modicum  of  drill  and 
spent  most  of  their  time  in  drinking  and  carousing. 
They  doubtless  were  led  to  this  erroneous  idea  by  hav- 
ing seen  or  heard  of  some  rowdy  conduct  in  some  par- 
ticular camps  and  thus  formed  a  sweeping  opinion  that 
all  military  camps  must  be  of  the  same  bad  character. 
Any  gross  conduct  or  rough  language  by  a  soldier  in 
uniform  thus  not  only  compromises  himself  but  tends 
also  to  bring  his  company  and  regiment,  and  indeed  the 
entire  army,  into  disrepute.  In  the  middle  ages  the 


MAKING  A  SOLDIER.  45 

boisterous  conduct  of  soldiers  often  so  disgusted  and 
terrorized  the  people  that  they  dreaded  to  have  them 
even  pass  through  the  country,  and  their  forbidding 
appearance  and  coarse  profanity  became  proverbial. 
Shakespeare  reflects  this  sentiment  where  he  speaks 
of— 

"The  soldier,  full  of  strange  oaths, 
And  bearded  like  the  pard." 

This  distrust  of  the  soldier  has  come  down  to  the 
present  day,  as  we  find  it  manifest  in  the  reluctance 
of  farmers  to  rent  their  lands  for  the  use  of  maneu- 
vers, fearing  the  soldiers  may  commit  depredations. 
Happily,  however,  for  the  knightly  profession  of  arms 
today,  the  soldier  is  no  longer  permitted  to  be  a  ruf- 
fian, and  any  officer  who  is  convicted  of  conduct  un- 
becoming a  gentleman  is  dismissed  from  the  service. 
Officers  and  men  should  strive  in  every  way  by  the 
excellence  of  their  conduct  to  overcome  these  unfor- 
tunate prejudices. 

Bringing  liquor  into  camp  is  prohibited  by  existing 
orders  in  the  army,  but  under  the  statutes  of  some 
of  the  states  the  militia  may  be  permitted  to  maintain 
a  respectable  canteen.  Under  such  circumstances 
there  will  be  no  temptation  to  go  outside,  and  under 
no  circumstances  should  men  be  permitted  to  patron- 


46  MAKING  A  SOLDIER. 

ize  the  "joints"  which  usually  infest  the  outskirts. 
Let  every  captain  remind  his  men,  and  not  weary  in 
reiterating,  that  however  much  freedom  of  language 
or  habit  they  may  indulge  while  in  citizen's  clothes, 
the  moment  they  put  on  the  uniform  they  assume  new 
obligations  to  society,  and  the  eyes  of  the  people  are 
on  them.  So  long  as  they  remain  in  uniform  their 
conduct  must  be  such  as  to  excite  no  reproach.  And 
let  every  soldier  remember  that  his  uniform  is  the 
livery  of  his  country,  that  it  is  an  honor  to  be  per- 
mitted to  wear  it,  and  that,  like  the  flag,  it  should  be 
held  too  sacred  to  be  compromised  by  conduct  offen- 
sive to  the  just  sentiment  of  the  people. 

It  is  related  that  an  officer  at  Gen.  Grant's  head- 
quarters once  proposed  to  tell  a  story,  but  before  be- 
ginning asked  if  there  were  any  ladies  within  hearing. 
Gen.  Grant  replied  that  there  were  no  ladies  near,  but 
if  the  story  was  not  fit  to  be  told  in  the  presence  of 
ladies  he  did  not  care  to  hear  it  himself. 

Soldiers,  perhaps,  cannot  all  be  expected  to  reach 
this  high  plane,  but  while  in  uniform  at  least  they 
would  do  well  to  bear  in  mind  the  great  captain's  ex- 
ample. 


CHAPTER  V. 


Records. 

It  may  not  appear  at  first  thought  that  the  correct 
keeping  of  company  records  can  have  much  bearing 
on  the  making  of  a  soldier.  But  if  we  recall  the  old 
saying  that  "an  army  moves  on  its  belly"  we  shall  un- 
derstand the  importance  of  keeping  our  ration  returns 
right  and  of  seeing  that  a  strict  account  is  kept  of  the 
company  fund.  Likewise  the  duty  roster  is  of  most 
vital  concern  to  insure  that  every  man  is  given  fair 
treatment  and  not  required  to  do  more  than  his  share 
nor  permitted  to  escape  his  regular  turn.  The  Morn- 
ing Report,  showing  the  exact  status  of  the  organiza- 
tion each  day,  giving  the  names  of  those  who  have 
"gone  sick,"  those  who  are  absent,  those  who  have 
returned  to  duty,  the  gains  and  losses,  is  the  basis 
upon  which  all  details  are  made,  and  in  its  aggregate 
in  the  higher  commands  may  determine  the  place  of  a 
regiment  in  march  or  battle.  A  regiment  whose  morn- 
ing report  shows  a  large  percentage  sick  or  absent 
would  not  likely  be  chosen  for  service  at  the  front. 

Notwithstanding  the  importance  of  these  records, 
official  inspections  of  the  organized  militia  reveal  the 


48  MAKING   A   SOLDIER. 

fact  that  they  are  frequently  full  of  errors.  Indeed, 
in  some  organizations  they  seem  to  be  much  neg- 
lected or  not  in  use  at  all;  even  the  muster  rolls  are 
often  carelessly  prepared.  In  one  regiment  which  fell 
under  my  notice  at  a  maneuver  camp  the  muster  rolls 
were  sent  back  no  less  than  twelve  times  by  the  Pay- 
master, thus  delaying  payment  for  several  days.  In 
other  regiments  certain  men  were  carried  "sick"  with- 
out the  knowledge  of  the  surgeon,  and  even  in  disre- 
gard of  the  fact  that  he  had  marked,. them  "duty;" 
some  were  put  on  "special  duty"  without  the  author- 
ity of  the  commanding  officer  and  in  some  companies 
it  was  observed  that  the  morning  reports  had  not 
been  signed,  and,  in  fact,  bore  no  evidence  of  having 
been  even  seen  by  the  company  commander.  These 
matters  may  not  seem  to  be  of  much  moment  in  a 
camp  of  instruction,  but  if  not  learned  and  practiced 
there  they  will  bring  a  rich  harvest  of  trouble  when 
war  comes. 

Army  Regulations  prescribe  what  records  shall  be 
kept  and  the  service  manuals  and  printed  models  and 
instructions  show  in  detail  how  they  are  to  be  posted 
from  day  to  day.  If  every  soldier  knows  that  an 
accurate  account  is  being  kept  of  his  clothing  and  ra- 
tions and  tours  of  duty ;  that  no  favoritism  is  possible 


MAKING   A   SOLDIER.  49 

because  the  duty  roster  gives  every  man  credit  for  his 
guard,  his  fatigue,  his  detached  service,  his  kitchen 
police,  or  other  special  duty,  and  likewise  charges 
every  man  with  his  furloughs,  his  absence  without 
leave,  his  confinement  in  the  guard  house,  or  other 
escape  or  evasion  of  duty;  if  he  knows,  in  short,  that 
every  man  will  get  just  treatment  "without  partiality, 
favor  or  affection"  as  the  law  expresses  it,  he  will  be 
satisfied,  there  will  be  a  spirit  of  contentment  in  the 
company,  and  this  will  help  measurably  in  discipline 
and  efficiency. 


CHAPTER  VI. 
Conclusion. 

It  has  been  my  endeavor  in  the  foregoing  pages  to 
emphasize  the  paramount  importance  of  discipline.  In- 
dispensable as  this  quality  has  always  been  in  the  mak- 
ing of  a  soldier,  even  in  the  long  ago  when  men  fought 
with  clubs  and  spears,  it  is  a  thousandfold  more  so 
today  with  our  rapid  loading  rifles  and  far  reach- 
ing guns.  So  long  as  men  could  be  held  together  in 
close  order  and  therefore  within  the  grasp  of  their 
commander  their  action  could  be  directed  and  their 
fire  controlled.  The  enemy  could  be  seen  and  his  de- 
ployments observed  long  before  he  could  be  hit.  But 
under  modern  fire,  masses  are  compelled  to  break  up 
and  pass  into  dispersed  or  extended  order  at  great 
distances.  Thus  they  get  "out  of  hand/'  and  the  task 
of  direction  and  control  becomes  infinitely  difficult. 
Greatly  increased  responsibility  therefore  has  fallen 
upon  the  commanders  of  smaller  units,  and  even  the 
squad  leader  will  have  opportunity  to  put  into  practice 
all  the  military  skill  he  has  acquired.  Recent  wars 
furnish  many  striking  illustrations.  Observers  in  the 
Russo-Japanese  conflict  report  that  the  artillery  fire 
was  so  searching  and  so  overwhelming  as  to  dominate 


MAKING   A   SOLDIER.  51 

the  entire  field.  To  escape  this  sweeping  hail  storm, 
opposing  troops  were  not  only  compelled  to  keep  out 
of  sight  but  to  execute  all  of  their  principal  movements 
under  cover  of  night.* 

Now  this  necessity  of  marching  by  night  and  keep- 
ing under  cover  by  day,  of  suffering  losses  from  an 
unseen  foe  without  being  able  to  reply,  of  breaking 
up  and  losing  cohesion  long  before  coming  into  action 
— disintegrating  as  it  were  just  at  the  moment  when 
cohesion  and  mutual  support  are  most  needed — all  im- 
pose a  nervous  strain  on  officers  and  men  never  before 
known  in  war.  It  is  well  recognized  that  nothing  is  so 
exhausting  to  troops  as  a  long  night  march,  and  where 
such  marches  are  of  frequent  occurrence,  and  culmi- 
nate as  they  so  often  did  in  Manchuria  in  bloody  night 
assaults,  it  requires  the  best  attainable  discipline  to 
hold  men  together.  If  the  soldier  in  our  next  war  is 

*Gen.  de  Negrier,  who  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  highest 
living  military  authorities,  in  his  description  of  the  battle  at 
Tashishan,  says:  "In  the  meanwhile  the  ist  Russian  Corps 
^held  the  enemy  the  whole  day  on  its  front  with  six  batteries, 
supported  on  the  outer  wing  by  two  additional  batteries. 
*  *  Not  a  single  Russian  infantry  soldier  was  engaged, 
and  yet  the  Japanese  were  unable  to  push  their  own  infantry 
nearer  to  the  Russian  guns  than  a  distance  of  i^  miles.  As 
the  war  went  on  it  became  quite  clear  that  artillery  was  the 
dominant  factor  by  day,  while  infantry  could  seldom  act 
effectively  except  by  night." 


52  MAKING   A   SOLDIER. 

as  little  prepared  as  were  the  boys  who  fell  out  to 
pick  blackberries  on  the  way  to  Bull  Run  how  many 
will  ever  return  to  tell  the  story  of  the  resulting 
debacle!  Let  us  not  shut  our  eyes  and  refuse  to  see 
the  facts.  This  is  no  fantastic  speculation.  It  is  the 
teaching  of  our  own  history.  Gen.  Sherman  said  that 
it  was  not  until  after  both  Vicksburg  and  Gettysburg 
that  the  northern  armies  could  be  handled  profession- 
ally. It  took  two  years  of  constant  training,  accented 
by  not  a  few  humiliating  defeats,  to  learn  the  habit  of 
the  soldier.  And  this  history  will  repeat  itself  with 
far  greater  humiliation  if  ever  again  we  commit  the 
crime  of  sending  untrained,  unsuspecting,  helpless 
boys  to  the  field  of  battle  as  we  did  in  1861. 

In  urging  the  National  Guard  and,  thru  them,  the 
people  of  the  United  States  to  aid  in  the  development 
of  an  effective  Reserve,  the  professional  soldier  is  lia- 
ble to  be  misunderstood.  He  will  perhaps  be  sus- 
pected of  seeking  to  magnify  the  power  of  the  sword. 
Educators  have  been  known  to  discountenance  military 
training  in  schools  because  they  discover  in  the  mili- 
tary spirit  the  seeds  of  imperialism  and  a  menace  to 
our  cherished  democratic  institutions.  The  tendency 
of  military  organization  is  towards  strong  government, 
and  ultimately,  they  tell  us,  towards  a  militant  nation. 


MAKING   A    SOLDIER.  53 

But,  turning  again  to  our  own  history,  we  find  that  no 
American  commander  has  ever  yet  lost  touch  with 
the  people.  The  American  soldier  springs  from  the 
people  and  to  the  people  he  feels  accountable.  So  long 
as  he  remains  a  volunteer  and  not  a  conscript  or  a 
hireling,  his  service  will  be  a  service  of  love.  He 
deplores  the  havoc  of  war  as  only  the  intelligent,  the 
brave,  the  noble  hearted  can.  He  does  not  wage  war 
for  the  love  of  carnage  or  the  glory  of  conquest,  but 
for  the  love  of  liberty,  in  the  cause  of  humanity  and 
for  the  succor  of  the  down  trodden  and  oppressed. 
This  was  so  in  1812,  in  1846,  in  1898.  And  where 
his  countrymen  have  become  involved  in  bitter  interne- 
cine strife  he  has  been  seen  to  cling  tenaciously  to  his 
people  and  cast  his  lot  with  the  place  of  his  birth. 
Preeminently  the  American  soldier  is  one  of  the  peo- 
ple and  not  of  any  caste  or  class. 

Moreover,  he  realizes  as  fully  perhaps  as  other 
citizens  of  the  Republic  that  the  desolating  effects 
of  war  do  not  stop  with  the  field  of  battle 
but  are  projected  far  into  the  future,  imposing 
blights  and  burdens  on  posterity  for  genera- 
tions to  come.  He  probably  appreciates  quite  as 
clearly  as  any  soldier  before  him  the  truth  of  the 
philosopher's  indictment  that  "the  essential  feature 


54  MAKING  A  SOLDIER. 

of  war  is  the  slaughter  of  the  young,  the  brave,  the 
ambitious,  the  hopeful,  leaving  the  weak,  the  sickly, 
the  discouraged,  to  perpetuate  the  race."*  And  it  is 
just  because  of  his  intelligent  understanding  of  these 
facts,  because  of  his  devotion  to  the  people,  to  the  sa- 
cred institutions  of  his  country,  to  the  cause  of  hu- 
manity, to  human  freedom  and  justice  and  fair  play, 
and  because  of  his  keen  apprehension  of  the  melan- 
choly effects  which  follow  in  the  train  of  war  that  he 
pleads  with  his  countrymen  to  prepare  in  order  that 
these  evil  days  may  be  postponed  and  if  possible 
pushed  far  into  the  distant  future. 

The  American  soldier  is  familiar  enough  with  the 
trend  of  events  to  recognize  that  conditions  may  sud- 
denly arise,  even  in  this  refined  age,  when  a  rash  ap- 
peal to  arms  can  only  be  averted  by  the  persuasive 
appearance  of  a  battle  ship ;  and  no  matter  how  right- 
eous our  cause  or  long-suffering  our  forbearance  the 
only  means  in  such  instance  of  securing  a  respectful 
hearing  in  the  halls  of  diplomacy  is  through  readiness 
to  strike.  But  readiness  to  strike  means  also  readi- 
ness to  defend.  The  offensive  and  defensive  are  so 
interdependent  that  they  can  not  be  separated.  There- 

*The  Philosophy  of  Hope,  by  President  Jordan  of  Stanford 
University. 


MAKING   A   SOLDIER.  55 

fore,  again  we  say,  he  pleads  with  his  countrymen 
to  prepare,  and  he  asks  that  our  little  army,  wholly 
inadequate  as  it  is  even  for  the  requirements  of  peace, 
be  put  on  a  proper  basis,  and  that  it  be  supported  by  a 
thoroly  qualified  Reserve.  He  urges  that  this  be  done 
now,  while  yet  there  is  time,  while  the  dogs  of  war  are 
sleeping.  "Modern  War/'  Lord  Roberts  warns  us, 
"moves  fast,  and  time  lost  in  peace  can  never  be  made 
up  during  the  stress  of  the  Campaign."  So,  we  in- 
sist, there  should  be  no  further  delay,  and  a  promising 
place  to  begin  certainly  seems  to  be  in  the  National 
Guard.  Every  intelligent  National  Guardsman  recog- 
nizes the  necessity  of  enough  regular  soldiers  to  give 
a  reasonable  relief  on  foreign  stations,  and  at  least 
one  relief  at  our  sea  coast  guns.  They  should  also 
endeavor  to  expand  their  own  organization  to  at  least 
double  its  present  size. 

But  before  very  material  development  can  be  hoped 
for  there  must  be  a  great  change  in  the  attitude  of  the 
people.  Instead  of  employers  refusing  to  spare  their 
men  for  a  few  short  days  in  camp,  as  many  now  do, 
there  should  be  such  an  enlightenment  of  public  senti- 
ment, that  any  man  who  seeks,  for  fear  of  a  losing 
few  paltry  dollars,  to  evade  or  compel  others  to  evade, 
this  paramount  obligation  of  citizenship,  shall  be 


56  MAKING   A   SOLDIER. 

branded  as  an  unpatriotic  citizen,  and  held  up  to  the 
reprobation  of  the  community  in  which  he  lives. 

For  the  creation  of  such  a  sentiment  and  for  the 
development  of  a  suitable  and  effective  reserve  the 
American  soldier  will  continue  to  labor,  and  he  ap- 
peals to  all  National  Guardsmen  to  join  him  in  this 
worthy  endeavor.  In  this  effort,  as  I  have  suggested 
in  the  preceding  pages,  the  Guardsmen  should  ever 
bear  in  mind  that  the  best  and  perhaps  only  effective 
way  of  educating  the  people  is  by  object  lessons;  to  be 
not  only  in  name  and  appearance  but -in  training,  in 
deportment,  in  spirit,  soldiers.  In  a  word,  to  become 
disciplined.  Having  thus  disarmed  the  people  of  ridi- 
cule and  distrust  and  won  their  respect  and  esteem,  it 
will  then  be  easy  to  save  them  from  the  dreams  of 
visionaries  and  the  sophisms  of  doctrinaires. 

"War,"  wrote  Napier  in  his  great  history,  "is  the 
condition  of  this  world."  Peace  conferences  and  in- 
ternational conventions  may  seek  to  mitigate  its  hard- 
ships, but  only  adequate  preparation  can  hope  to  hold 
it  at  bay. 

Sincerely,  devoutly,  we  may  unite  with  Bishop 
Potter  in  the  beautiful  prayer  of  his  church,  "Give 
peace  in  our  time,  Oh  Lord,"  yet  as  sincerely  and  con- 
sistently may  we  agree  with  him  when  he  says,  "Not 
in  your  day  or  mine,  nor  as  long  as  the  world  lasts 
will  there  be  cessation  of  war." 


CHAPTER  VIL 


Questions  and  Answers. 

Introduction . 

1  Q.     What  is  a  National  Army  Reserve? 

A.  It  is  an  organized  body  of  men,  uniformed, 
armed,  equipped  and  trained  for  the  purpose 
of  reinforcing  the  Regular  or  Standing  Army 
in  case  of  war. 

2  Q.     Of  what  should  it  consist? 

A.  It  should  consist  of  proper  proportions  of  all 
branches  of  the  service,  including  Staff  Corps, 
such  as  Adjutants  and  Inspectors  General, 
Quartermasters,  Subsistence  Officers,  Judge 
Advocates,  Medical  officers  &  Hospital  Corp 
men,  Paymaster  and  Signal  Corps.  Also  regi- 
ments of  Engineers,  Field  Artillery,  Cavalry 
and  Infantry. 

3  Q.     Do  all  great  nations  maintain  an  Army  Re- 

serve ? 
A.     Yes,  all  except  the  United  States. 

4  Q.     How  does  it  come  that  we  have  none? 

A.  Our  grandfathers  tried  to  create  one  by  pass- 
ing a  law  in  1795  requiring  every  able  bodied 
man  between  18  and  45  to  be  enrolled  and 


58  MAKING   A    SOLDIER. 

drill,  but  the  system  was  unpopular  and  grad- 
ually fell  into  disuse. 

5  Q.     How  do  the  European  Nations  maintain  their 

Reserves  ? 

A.  By  conscription  or  compulsory  service,  simi- 
lar to  our  law  of  1795. 

6  Q.     What  system  does  the  United  States  depend 

upon  when  soldiers  are  needed? 
A.     Ever  since  the  old  law  of  1795  fell  into  disuse 
we  have  depended  on  volunteers. 

7  Q.     Has  the  volunteer  system  proved  satisfactory? 
A.     No,  it  might  do  for  a  single  campaign  but  in 

a  long  war  it  fails. 

8  Q.     Do  you  mean  to  say  that  it  was  a  failure  in 

the  great  Civil  War  between  the  North  and 
the  South  which  was  fought  out  by  volun- 
teers ? 

A.  Yes.  As  the  war  progressed  the  people  grew 
tired  and  men  ceased  to  enlist.  Soldiers  then 
had  to  be  obtained  by  the  payment  of  big 
bounties.  This  also  failed,  and  finally  resort 
was  had  to  the  "Draft." 

9  Q.     Is  there  any  other  defect  in  the  volunteer  sys- 

tem? 


MAKING   A   SOLDIER.  59 

A.  Yes;  it  allows  the  unpatriotic,  the  shirks  and 
cowards  to  stay  at  home,  while  the  brave  and 
heroic  go  to  the  front  to  fight  their  country's 
battles. 

10  Q.     Has    any  effort    been  made    in  the    United 

States  to  prepare  a  Reserve  since  the  old  law 
of  1795  failed? 

A.  Yes;  the  Dick  Militia  Law,  passed  in  1903, 
recognizes  the  National  Guard  as  the  organ- 
ized Militia,  and  is  intended  to  encourage  and 
assist  them  in  their  equipment  and  training. 

11  Q.     Why  should  we  seek  to  develop  reserve  troops 

in  time  of  Peace  when  they  are  intended  for 
service  only  in  war? 

A.  Because  it  requires  considerable  time  to  make 
a  soldier,  and  modern  wars  rise  so  suddenly 
that  we  have  no  time  to  prepare  after  the 
storm  has  burst. 

12  Q.     Under  our  present  system  is  it  possible  for  a 

militia  company  to  attain  a  satisfactory  state 
of  preparation  for  war? 

A.  Yes ;  inspection  reports  show  some  organiza- 
tions excellent  in  every  respect. 

*3  Q-     What  appear  to  be  the  principal  defects  indi- 
cated by  Inspecting  officers? 


60  MAKING   A   SOLDIER. 

A.  Lack  of  discipline.  Many  companies  appear  to 
be  merely  uniformed  rifle  clubs,  with  military 
incidents. 

14  Q.     What  are  the  causes  of  this? 

A.     Various,  but  chiefly  due  to  neglect  of  drill. 

Discipline. 

15  Q.     What  is  discipline? 
A.     Discipline  is  a  habit. 

16  Q.     Is  this  habit  easily  and  quickly  acquired? 

A.  No;  it  is  of  slow  growth,  especially  among 
Americans. 

17  Q.     Why  is  its  growth  specially  slow  among  Amer- 

icans ? 

A.  Because  of  the  great  personal  liberty  which 
they  enjoy,  their  strong  individuality  and  inde- 
pendence, the  absence  of  caste  or  class  dis- 
tinctions and  the  light  restraints  they  are  un- 
der in  childhood.* 

^Referring  to  the  differences  between  American  and  Eng- 
lish character  "The  Grand  Old  Man,"  Gladstone,  once  said, 
"The  English  people  are  not  believers  in  equality;  they  do  not, 
with  the  famous  Declaration  of  July  4th,  1776,  think  it  to  be 
a  self-evident  truth  that  all  men  are  born  equal.  They  hold, 
rather,  the  reverse  of  that  proposition.  *  *  Their  nat- 
ural tendency,  from  the  very  base  of  British  society,  and 
through  all  its  strongly  built  gradations,  is  to  look  upward." 
This  remark  applies  with  equal  force  to  the  people  of  all 
European  nations.  They  begin  to  acquire  the  habit  of  disci- 
pline long  before  they  enter  the  army.— A.  C.  S. 


MAKING   A    SOLDIER.  61 

18  Q.     Do  these  conditions  render  them  less  capable 

of  becoming  good  soldiers  ? 

A.  On  the  contrary,  when  once  thoroly  trained 
the  American  becomes  the  best  soldier  in  the 
world. 

19  Q.     On  what  do  you  base  this  opinion? 

A.  This  is  the  testimony  of  many  competent  mili- 
tary critics  who  have  observed  and  compared 
the  soldiery  of  all  the  great  Nations  of  the 
world. 

20  Q.     Then  we  may  feel  quite  secure  against  for- 

eign armies  seeing  that  military  experts  recog- 
nize the  great  superiority  of  our  soldiers? 

A.  By  no  means.  Our  raw  material  is  fine  but 
without  effective  training  it  is  worse  than  use- 
less. 

21  Q.    Why  worse  than  useless? 

A.  Because,  as  Bismark  once  said,  "an  army 
without  discipline  is  not  only  useless  in  war, 
but  dangerous  in  peace." 

22  Q.     Then  as  discipline  is  of  slow  growth,  espe- 

cially among  Americans,  what  should  we  do 
in  order  to  be  ready  for  war? 


62  MAKING   A    SOLDIER. 

A.  We  should  have  a  large  reserve  in  time  of 
peace,  and  it  should  not  only  be  fully  uniform- 
ed, equipped  and  armed,  but  thoroly  drilled. 

23  Q.     Then  you  think  that  a  company  suddenly  re- 

cruited at  the  outbreak  of  war  and  not  having 
acquired  the  habit  which  we  call  discipline, 
would  not  be  of  much  military  value? 

A.  It  would  not  be  available  for  any  military  use 
at  all.  It  would  be  merely  a  uniformed  as- 
sembly of  men  with  a  military  name.  To  al- 
low such  a  body  of  men  to  go  to  the  front 
would  be  not  only  cruel  to  them  but  might  be 
disastrous  to  the  army.  History  furnishes 
many  sad  examples  of  this. 

24  Q.     Explain  more  fully  what  is  meant  by  this  habit 

which  is  so  slowly  learned  and  which  we  call 
discipline. 

A.  Discipline  means  primarily  respect  for  author- 
ity: not  merely  in  theory  or  because  we  per- 
sonally like  the  man  in  authority,  but  in  un- 
conscious or  spontaneous  action. 

25  Q-     What  is  meant  by  unconscious  or  spontaneous 

action  ? 


MAKING   A   SOLDIER.  63 

A.  Doing  a  thing  "without  thinking/'  Thus  a 
man  throws  out  his  hand  to  balance  himself 
when  his  foot  slips. 

26  Q.     How  would  this  apply  to  a  soldier's  duty? 

A.  His  hand  should  spring  to  his  hat  or  cap  on 
meeting  an  officer  as  instantly  and  smartly  as 
if  he  were  slipping. 

27  Q.     But  suppose  the  officer  neglects  to  return  the 

salute  ? 

A.  That  makes  no  difference  to  the  soldier.  He 
is  not  responsible  for  the  conduct  of  the  offi- 
cer. 

28  Q.     In  what  other  ways  does  discipline  develop  a 

soldier? 

A.  In  many  ways.  For  instance  he  should  be  so 
thoroly  grounded  in  the  "position  of  the  sol- 
dier" as  unconsciously  to  bring  his  heels  to- 
gether in  ranks  or  when  he  speaks  or  is  spoken 
to  by  an  officer. 

2§  Q.  Inspectors  often  criticise  companies  because 
men  have  been  seen  to  spit  in  ranks,  or  raise 
their  hands,  or  gaze  about.  Why  are  these 
little  things  considered  so  serious  as  to  call 
for  remark  in  an  official  report  ? 


64  MAKING   A   SOLDIER. 

A.  These  and  many  similar  faults,  such  as  slow- 
ness in  falling  in,  talking,  chewing,  laughing 
or  even  smiling,  all  betray  inattention  and  lack 
of  training.  They  show  that  there  is  little  or 
no  discipline  and  that  the  men  therefore  have 
not  yet  become  soldiers. 

30  Q.     Can  a  well  disciplined  soldier  be  distinguished 

from  other  persons  even  when  he  is  in  citizen's 
clothes  ? 

A.  Yes,  by  his  military  bearing,  his  erect  carriage, 
his  alert  air,  his  courtesy  and  especially  by 
the  natural  way  he  stands  and  moves. 

31  Q.     The  position  of  the  soldier  is  rather  strained 

and  difficult,  is  it  not? 

A.  No,  it  is  the  natural  position.  A  relaxed  and 
slouching  position  is  unnatural  and  unsightly. 
It  contracts  the  chest,  undermines  the  health 
and  weakens  the  resolution. 

32  Q.     Describe  the  appearance  of  the  two  organiza- 

tions mentioned  in  the  text,  showing  the  dif- 
ference between  a  company  that  is  disciplined 
and  one  that  is  not.  (See  text.) 

Drill 

33  Q.     What  is  drill? 


MAKING   A    SOLDIER.  65 

A.  It  is  a  system  of  exercises  whereby  men  are 
taught  to  act  together  at  the  will  of  the  com- 
mander. 

34  Q.     What  is  the  most  important  part  of  the  drill  ? 
A.     The  school  of  the  soldier,  because  it  inculcates 

the  military  habit  called  discipline. 

35  Q.     Does  drill  consist  in  merely  learning  how  to 

do  an  exercise  ? 

A.  No ;  it  means  such  a  repetition  of  it  that  finally 
a  man  stands  and  moves  and  acts  in  a  sol- 
dierly way  "without  thinking." 

36  Q.     Give  some  illustration.  (See  chapter  on  Drill.) 

37  Q.     Should  drill  be  confined  strictly  to  the  move- 

ments laid  down  in  the  book? 
A.     No.     It  is  liable  to  become  monotonous,  and 
effort  should  therefore  be  made  to  vary  it  by 
brief  inspections,   orderly  duty,   guard   duty, 
etc. 

38  Q.     Describe  what  this  brief  inspection  should  be. 

(See  Drill.) 

39  Q.     Describe  how  orderly  duty  should  be  taught. 

(See  Drill.) 

40  Q.    Describe  how  you  would  teach  sentinels'  duty. 

(See  Drill.) 


66  MAKING   A    SOLDIER. 

41  Q.     Should  we  devote    much  attention    to    fine 

points  in  drilling? 

A.  No,  but  exactness  and  precision  with  prompt- 
ness are  as  important  as  ever.  The  tendency 
at  present  is  towards  too  much  relaxation. 

42  Q.     What  is  said  in  the  text  about  setting  up  exer- 

cises?    (See  Drill.) 

43  Q.     How  should  saluting  be  taught  ? 

A.  By  constant  practice,  and  by  constant  correc- 
tion. 

44  Q.     Is  saluting  hard  to  learn  ? 

A.  Yes,  some  men  never  learn  it.  They  go  thru 
awkward  and  hesitating  motions,  but  never 
get  any  "snap." 

45  Q-     What  is  the  best  method  of  teaching  a  man  to 

salute? 

A.  After  he  has  learned  the  motions  at  drill,  send 
him  to  deliver  a  message  to  some  officer. 

46  Q.     Describe  how  you  would  proceed  in  this. 

A.  I  would  say  to  the  man.  "Present  my  com- 
pliments to  Captain  B,  and  ask  him  if  he  will 
please  tell  me  at  what  hour  recall  will  sound," 
etc.  (Giving  any  message  suited  to  the  occa- 
sion.) Then  I  would  explain  to  him  just  how 
he  was  to  halt  and  salute  and  the  words  he 


MAKING   A    SOLDIER.  67 

was  to  use  thus :  "Lieut.  A  presents  his  com- 
pliments to  Captain  B,  and  asks  if  he  will 
please  tell  him  when  recall  will  sound/'  etc. 
I  would  then  instruct  the  man  to  salute,  after 
receiving  the  Captain's  answer,  make  an  about 
face,  and  return  and  deliver  the  reply  in  the 
same  manner.  I  would  have  him  rehearse 
this  several  times  with  me  before  going  to  the 
Captain.  This  exercise  should  be  repeated 
every  drill  night  with  every  man  for  at  least 
one  year. 

47  Q-     Why  is  this  instruction  so  important? 

A.  It  makes  the  man  self  reliant,  cultivates  mili- 
tary bearing,  and  thus  helps  discipline. 

48  Q.     Should  corporals  be  given  frequent  command 

of  their  squads? 

A.  Yes,  the  more  the  better.  Every  corporal 
should  be  required  to  drill  his  own  squad  a 
few  minutes  at  each  drill.  All  non-commis- 
sioned officers  should  be  given  opportunity  to 
command. 

49  Q-     What  is  the  tendency  in  drill  in  the  National 

Guard  ? 

A.  To  go  too  fast.  There  is  so  much  ground  to 
get  over  and  such  short  time  to  cover  it  that 
tfce  drill  is  slighted. 


68  MAKING  A  SOLDIER. 

50  Q.     What  is  the  effect? 

A.  Men  who  hurry  over  the  drill  do  not  acquire 
discipline.  When  they  come  to  the  maneuvers 
they  "go  to  pieces ;"  they  are  not  fit  for  ad- 
vanced instruction.  To  send  poorly  drilled 
troops  to  maneuvers  is  a  waste  of  both  time 
and  money. 

Health. 

51  Q.     Why  should  soldiers  be  taught  to  care  for 

their  health? 

A.  Because  camp  diseases  generally  kill  many 
more  men  than  bullets. 

52  Q.     What  was  the  proportion  in  the  great  civil 

war? 

A.  The  Union  Armies  lost  in  round  numbers 
100,000  killed  and  wounded  while  over  200,- 
ooo  died  of  disease. 

53  Q-     What   other   effect  besides   the  loss   of  men 

does  disease  entail? 

A.  The  sick  man  not  only  drops  out  himself  but 
he  requires  some  one  to  care  for  him,  and  he 
fills  a  place  in  the  ambulance  or  hospital  which 
should  be  reserved  for  the  wounded. 


MAKING  A  SOLDIER.  69 

54  Q.     Is  the  company  commander  responsible  for 

the  health  of  his  men? 

A.  Yes,  it  is  his  business  to  do  everything  in  his 
power  to  keep  his  men  well.  Therefore  he 
watches  over  their  habits  and  food  and  sleep- 
ing places,  with  great  care. 

55  Q.     What  precautions  should  be  taken? 

A.  All  men  should  be  instructed  as  far  as  possible 
before  going  to  camp.  After  arrival  in  camp 
the  first  thing  to  be  done  is  to  construct  la- 
trines, and  again  caution  the  men  not  to  pol- 
lute the  ground. 

56  Q.    Why  should  men  not  be  permitted  to  throw 

scraps  of  food  about  ? 

A.  Because  they  attract  flies,  and  flies  carry  dis- 
ease. 

57  Q.     What  has  been  the  history  of  American  troops 

in  regard  to  this  matter? 

A.  In  nearly  all  our  camps  there  has  been  too  lit- 
tle attention  paid  to  it,  and  in  some  of  them 
the  percentage  of  sickness  has  been  very  high. 

58  Q.     Does  a  large  sick  report  indicate  a  good  state 

of  discipline? 


70  MAKING   A   SOLDIER. 

A.  No.  It  indicates  that  the  discipline  is  lax, 
that  the  men  are  not  soldiers,  and  have  not 
learned  how  to  obey  orders. 

59  Q-     What  is  the  best  method  of  teaching  men  how 

to  preserve  their  health? 

A.  By  requiring-  them  to  practice  personal  clean- 
liness, to  keep  their  hair  cut  and  beard  trim- 
med, to  bathe  frequently  and  wash  their 
clothes,  to  clean  their  shoes,  and  keep  their 
buttons  on,  the  collar  turned  down,  their  hat 
in  proper  shape,  etc.  After, a  man  acquires 
these  personal  habits  it  will  be  more  natural 
for  him  to  keep  his  tent  clean,  and  not  to  litter 
or  soil  the  ground. 

60  Q.     What  is 'said  in  the  text  of  the  value  of  ath- 

letic sports?   (See  III.  The  Soldier's  Health.) 

61  Q.     What  is  said  of  music  and  amusements  ? 

(See  III.    The  Soldier's  Health.) 

Habits. 

62  Q.     Why  should  a  soldier  in  uniform     be  more 

particular  about  his  habits  than  other  men  ? 
(See  VI.     The   Soldier's  Habits.) 

63  Q.     What  was   the  character   of  soldiers  in  the 

Middle  Ages?    (See  Text.) 


MAKING  A  SOLDIER,  71 

64  Q.     Is  the  conduct  of  military  men  better  today 

than  it  was  then?    (See  Text.) 

65  Q.     What  is  the  difference  between  gross  conduct 

by  a  soldier  in  uniform  and  by  a  citizen. 
A.  The  misconduct  of  a  citizen  probably  injures 
nobody  but  himself,  whereas  the  bad  conduct 
of  a  soldier  not  only  injures  himself,  but  ex- 
cites the  apprehension  and  resentment  of  the 
public  against  all  other  soldiers.  It  makes  the 
military  unpopular  and  people  become  unwill- 
ing to  have  troops  camp  near  them. 

NOTE. — The  foregoing  questions  can  be  extended  at  the 
discretion  of  the  Instructor.  It  is  suggested  that  a  class  be 
formed  in  each  company  of  non-commissioned  officers  and 
selected  privates.  One  chapter  should  be  read  aloud  and 
briefly  commented  on  by  the  Instructor.  At  the  next  meeting 
it  should  be  reviewed  and  the  men  called  upon  to  answer  the 
questions.  After  completing  all  the  chapters  in  this  way  a 
general  review  should  be  had  just  before  going  to  camp. 


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